Things got a bit rough for the team about a year ago when it dipped its toes into the sometimes dangerous waters of Reddit's Q&A free-for-all, dubbed Ask Me Anything (AMA) following the release of the Surface Pro 3 tablet. Among other things, Microsoft was taken to task for charging separately for the keyboard/cover. However, the Surface Pro 3 has become something of a hit, pulling in a reported $900 million-plus in revenue, according to market watchers.

Friday's AMA, at 2pm Eastern Time will give Redditors a chance to grill Microsoft VP Panos Panay (@Panos_Panay) and the Surface team about the new Surface 3, which is available for pre-order and will be delivered in early May. (How about "Why did you insist on saying the price is $499 instead of just calling it $500?"). The device, which costs $300 less than the Pro model, comes with Windows 8.1 (not the unsuccessful mobile-only RT OS) and is upgradeable later this year to Windows 10.

Windows currently claims only 5.1% of the tablet market, according to new IDC numbers, but thanks in part to Windows 10's arrival on tablets soon, Microsoft is expected to grab share from iOS and Android tablets in the next few years.

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